The City of London Corporation is creating a legal path to revoke the Freedom of the City for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. This action follows the former royal's refusal to voluntarily relinquish the honor amid his association with Jeffrey Epstein.
The ECHR and the 'Property Right' of the Freedom of the City
The City of London Corporation is curretnly navigating a complex legal landscape because the Freedom of the City is not a simple award. According to the report, the honor is viewed as a property right protected under both domestic law and the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). This legal status means there is currently no existing lawful mechanism to simply take the honor away from a recipient.
The struggle reached a boiling point in May, when the City's Court of Common Council passed a motion of censure. This motion expressed "profound disappointment" that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor had not surrendered the honor despite direct requests to do so. The Corporation is now forced to find a legal loophole or create a new law to bypass these property right protections.
A 2021 Honor Inherited from Prince Philip
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor did not earn this specific distinction through public service,but rather through patrimony. As reported, he received the Freedom of the City in 2021 because his father, Prince Philip, had also been a freeman. This tradition dates back to 1237, when the Freedom originally granted individuals the legal right to carry out trade within the city walls.
The retention of this honor stands in stark contrast to the actions of the monarchy. in 2025 , King Charles III stripped his younger brother of his royal titles and honors.. While the royal titles were removed by the Crown, the City of London Corporation operates as a separate governing body for the financial district, meaning the Freedom of the City remained untouched by the King's decree.
The February 2025 Arrest and Misconduct Allegations
The urgency to remove the honor has intensified following new legal troubles for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. In February 2025, he was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The allegations center on the sharing of sensitive information with the convicted financier Jeffrey Epstein during the time Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor served as a UK trade envoy.
This arrest has transformed the issue from a matter of royal reputation into a potential criminal matter involving the misuse of state secrets. The City of London Corporation has explicitly stated that its thoughts remain with the survivors of sexual abuse and exploitation, signaling that the honor is now seen as an affront to the victims of Jeffrey Epstein.
Why the City Corporation Prefers Internal Rules over a Parliamentary Bill
To resolve the deadlock, the City of London Corporation is considering two primary legal strategies to strip the honor:
- Parliamentary Legislation: Drafting a formal bill that would require approval from the UK Parliament to override existing property laws.
- Internal Process: Creating a new internal regulatory mechanism that allows the Corporation to make these decisions autonomously.
As the source reports, the Corporation prefers the internal route. A spokesman indicated that an internal process would be the "fastest and most appropriate approach," avoiding the lengthy delays associated with parliamentary legislation. If elected members approve this new process, they will then vote on whether to formally strip Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor of the privilege.
The Silence of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor
Despite the public censure and the development of a legal mechanism to remove his status, there is a notable lack of response from the former royal. It remains unknown whether Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor intends to challenge the City of London Corporation's proposed internal process in court, or if he will eventually succumb to the pressure to surrender the honor voluntarily. Furthermore, the report does not clarify if any other freemen are being scrutinized under these proposed new rules.
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